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Death Valley Black and White Photography Workshop

January 10-15, 2024

Book Workshop $1495
A backlit sand dune ridge with sand blowing over the top, post-processed in black and white.

This session will be similar to the December Winter Light workshop that we’ve been running for years, but with more emphasis on black and white photography, utilizing lines, shapes, textures, tones and light to emphasize subjects in strong compositions.

With shorter winter days, we can add evening post-processing session to cover a simple post-processing workflow to give you maximum control over your results. Low angle winter light is one of the most attractive conditions to shoot under in Death Valley, as described on my blog: “The Advantages of Winter Light.” As a bonus, it there’s late fall/early winter rain, the winter months offer the best conditions for standing water to remain on Badwater Salt Flats. 

Sample Death Valley black and white images here

What’s included:

  • Guiding to subjects & light, based on our 60+ trips exploring the Park
  • Constant fine tuning of itinerary based on forecasts & conditions
  • Photography instruction, composition consultation
  • Post-processing instruction
 

What’s not included:

  • Lodging – camping to luxury, your choice! (discounts may be available; lodging recommendations will be provided upon registration)
  • Transportation – carpooling optional (no super-spreader van!)
  • Meals/snacks/beverages (outdoor dining or take-out, as available)
  • Entrance fee to the park
  • Onerous group lodging terms (high price, poor cancellation terms, etc.)
Sun rays emerge from a cloud over the badlands visible from Zabriskie Point, Death Valley National Park.
mottled light illuminates layers of sand ridges in Death Valley National Park.

Itinerary

To ensure you get the best pictures and to accommodate for weather, we keep the exact itinerary flexible. This is an example of what to expect, though it may change slightly as necessary during the workshop.

  • Day 1 — Travel. Meet in the afternoon after everyone has checked in to their hotels.  We’ll photograph sunset, possibly blue hour, then head in for dinner.  We may opt to go out and get a few night shots before retiring to our hotel rooms for the evening.
  • Days 2, 3, 4, 5 — We’ll meet for sunrise, and make a few photography stops on our way to breakfast.  We’ll grab a quick bite and then head back out for more photography.  The sun barely gets over 32 degrees high. We’ll break for lunch and dinner as needed. Nights we can practice night photography or conduct post-processing demos. 
  • Day 6 – meet for sunrise, grab breakfast and head back to our hotels to check out and make our way homeward.